After a certain amount of time, staying at your current job starts working against you, not for you. Job-hopping isn’t a good idea, but there’s a difference between that and strategically moving your career along.

Gone are the days of employees staying at the same company in the same position for decades. The culture of the times have changed, and it can now negatively impact you to stay with a company too long. On the flip side, changing jobs every 6-12 months can also impact your career opportunities.

The Why!

If you find yourself at the same job, doing the “same ‘ol same ‘ol” for an extended period, you’re in danger. Some companies feel you have not seen enough different ways of approaching work if you stay with the same company too long. Because of the extensive use of technology, changes happen frequently and fast in the business world. If you are keeping up-to-date with technology and best practices and growing, then longevity won’t be a negative. It is imperative to stay abreast of new technologies, best practices and management philosophies. You don’t want to find yourself outdated and irrelevant.

In some cases, you may be doing the same type of work repeatedly year after year. Instead of you having 10 years of experience, you basically have 1-3 years of experience repeated over the years.

So…When?

When to leave your company depends on a few things. Here are some things to be on the lookout for.

After you’ve been at the same job for a while, you can lose your “new” factor. Though you may be performing optimally, the new faces may get more attention and promotions from your managers.

If you find yourself still at XYZ company, in the same job, passed over for a promotion again.

If you aren’t given opportunities to work on challenging projects that stretch you professionally.

If the technology is dated and you are not keeping up with current trends.

On the other hand, leaving a job too soon may show you to be a flight risk. You need your higher-ups to feel they can count on you to stick with a job for a while. It’s necessary to stay at a job long enough to do your work well, build a good reputation, and build your skills.

What’s the Problem?!?

Becoming irrelevant or out of date at a job is most dangerous. There are always new ways of doing things and new technologies to consider. If you’re not keeping up with those, then you’ll quickly fall behind.

This also impacts how others view you. If you stay at a job for more than five years without a promotion, then your boss may come under the false belief that you are content with your current job.

A common reason for staying with a company is the money. The chance for a raise or a bonus can be an incentive. However, when compared with the ability to negotiate your salary and a chance at a different company for continued promotions, this fails to be a good reason to stay.

Finally, staying at a company too long can kill your career advancement. If you want to continue advancing in your career, or your company is not investing in new technologies and keeping up with current trends, then you need to move on. Don’t lose sight of your goals. If your goals change, that’s fine. But if you still feel that drive to keep moving forward, then you’ll need to start looking.

Knowing when to leave your current job takes strategy and careful planning and thought. You don’t want to leave too soon, but you don’t want to leave too late, either. Speaking with a career advisor at Jacobson Staffing can help you with evaluating your options!

Applying on line is so easy these days that companies are inundated by resumes of both qualified, and unqualified, candidates. A typical fortune 500 company receives thousands of resumes in one week. Whether you’re accustomed to working with recruiters, human resources or talent acquisition teams, there are some things that they want to see on your resume.

Pull out your resume right now and as you read this article, and make the necessary changes to your resume. Remember, you should always add to your resume as you work on key projects, so you don’t forget to include crucial details that may be a differentiator of why you get asked for an interview. You never know when a reduction in force or sale of a company is going to occur. Take the time to invest in yourself now and keep your resume up to date.

How your resume is selected for an interview

Unique formatting with 3 different types of fonts and 2 graphics do not usually import correctly to the applicant systems that almost every company today uses. The reality is that companies today receive your resume through an applicant tracking system (ATS). Once in the ATS, a keyword search for the skills for a specific job search is done in the applicant tracking system, and that is what brings your resume to the top to be reviewed. Your most important information should be able to fit onto the recruiters/talent acquisition/HR first computer screen. Your professional summary and current role are what they will be reviewing. It is critical to make the first page grab their attention!

Brag on yourself

Explain what you did at each job and what the results were. If there are cost savings, process improvements, or other efficiencies, include them in your resume! List what you accomplished. Do not exaggerate your skills, but feel free to brag on what you have accomplished, because your resume is what gets you to the interview phase.

Be transparent

If you weren’t working for a time, explain why that was, don’t try to hide it. Maybe because of a downturn in the economy you were out of work for a while. Perhaps you had to quit your job to focus on caring for a relative. Whatever the reason, rather than trying to hide or come up with ambiguous dates to conceal the gap, explain it briefly. Do you want to risk losing an offer because during the employment verification stage they find out you hid your time off?

If you’ve been on the job search journey, you’ve spent some time with the Interview. Many people struggle with the questions they are required to answer. Here are several go-to questions that you can review that will help you to be better prepared.

Tell me about yourself.

While worded as a statement, this is really a question you can use to describe your work background and qualifications. If you capitalize on this opportunity, you may subtly describe why you’re the best candidate for the job. This is the time to outline your professional (not personal) journey. What you’ve learned along the way and what you may value at a job. Tailor this to the job you’re interviewing for, and you’ll not only impress the HR person but give them some valuable info. Remember, this isn’t the time to describe your personal life journey, including the brief period of heartache when your fish, Fido, passed on.

Why are you leaving your current job? or Why were you fired from your previous job?

While this may seem like a tricky question, it’s one that you can easily manage if you give it some thought. In a way that doesn’t bash your previous boss or coworkers, explain your reasons for moving on, but phrase them in a positive way. Talk about the growth opportunities at this job or, if you were laid off, explain why there was a reduction in force due to an acquisition or budget cuts at your job. If you have been terminated, be honest about the reasons for your termination (nothing is a secret in this community). But also tell what you’ve learned from the experience and what you’ve done to address the issues your boss had with you and your performance.

Why do you want to work at this job?

This is where you show your research about the company (which should be done before the interview). Be able to explain the benefits of working in that environment, with those opportunities. Bring up specific examples you’ve researched. In this way, you show that they’re not just another company, but a place you have a strong interest in.

What is your greatest strength?

Another great opportunity to address the job’s specific needs, you can really shine on this question. Relate them to your abilities and how they can fix the problems that the company is encountering. Be able to express your unique strengths and qualities specifically, but keep it brief. Be prepared to give a brief story of how this played out at your job.

What is your greatest weakness?

This is the question that often paralyzes people. Don’t go for one of the trite answers, like “perfectionist tendencies”. Those are insincere and don’t really give the HR person any idea of what your weaknesses might actually be. Choose something that you’ve been working on or was an issue in your last job. Try to find something that doesn’t specifically relate to the issue in the position you’re applying for. Once you know what it is, explain how you’ve been working on it or addressing it and give a specific example of how you’ve improved.

Why should we hire you?

Though another potentially intimidating question, this opens up the floor for you to explain what is unique about you. This is your opportunity to share what made you think you’d be suitable for the job in the first place. Remember, researching the company to know their specific needs will be very helpful to you. Tell how you’ve solved a similar problem at a previous job.

Do you have any questions for us?

Do not say no! It may have been a long, rigorous interview, but don’t allow your weariness to keep you from getting the job! The vast majority of people say “no,” so saying yes will immediately catch their attention. Come prepared with thoughtful questions you’ve considered ahead of time that address the company’s values or concerning the job itself.

Feel prepared to conquer your next interview by reviewing these questions and considering your response to each of them. You don’t have to have a memorized response to each. If you’re going to be going to several different interviews, then that would be a bad idea. Do your research and know how you would answer, and you’ll be ready to knock that interview out of the park!

There is a need to understand what is and isn’t appropriate to include in an email, especially in the business world. Here are some things that you definitely should not include in a business email.

Informality

Especially if you’re communicating with clients or those higher up in your company formality is very important. Using an informal tone, text-like abbreviations (lol), or emojis, is not appropriate. In fact, this may annoy people. When you use this kind of informality, it conveys a lack of respect for the person you’re communicating with, as well as the information you’re communicating. If you want to be taken seriously—and not receive a reprimand—don’t use any form of informality in your business emails.

Misspellings, improper format, missing subject line

Misspelled words are a quick turn-off to someone reading your business email. It is seen as very unprofessional, and it damages your reputation. Spell check is incorporated into email, but that doesn’t let you off the hook. Always, always, ALWAYS read through your email once, and then twice to make sure that everything is spelled correctly. Spell check can actually cause a mistake.

Re-reading will also help you to catch improper format or bad grammar. If it was necessary to copy and paste text into your email, sometimes that leaves the format looking strange, so be aware. Additionally, unusual fonts or images may translate into something completely different to the receiver. Make sure that your font is professional and business-like.

A missing subject line is a quick way to find your email in the recipient’s spam. The email software could automatically send it there, and if not, the recipient may just as easily do that rather than open an unknown correspondence. Make your subject clear and to-the-point. This keeps your email from ending up in spam and increases the probability of your email being opened and responded to promptly.

Angry or emotional messages

If a problem arises between you and a coworker, do not, I repeat, do not respond in an email. There is a disconnect between the brain and the keys that make you write things that would never have been said in public. Don’t give in to the urge to respond immediately in an angry fashion. Choose instead to let those emotions fizzle down, and then talk to that person either face to face or over the phone. Protect your reputation and keep from any embarrassment.

Quit Your Job

This is a deceptive way of avoiding conflict, but it will result in bridges being burned. When it comes time to quit your job, you owe your boss the respect of handing in your resignation face-to-face. Don’t take the easy way out—by quitting over email.

Those are four of the most common business email errors that you should avoid. Don’t let your reputation be damaged by this simple and useful tool for communication. Instead, start using proper email habits. Both you and your recipients will be glad you did.

There could be many different reasons for why you left your last job, or currently looking for a new opportunity while still employed. In an interview, you need to be able to articulate those reasons well without digging yourself into a hole.

All About Perspective

Whatever your reason for leaving, don’t let the negatives become the focus. Explain the benefits of what happened. If you felt like you couldn’t grow any more in the job you’re in, emphasize how you feel the job you’re applying for would give you those growth opportunities. If you were laid off, hopefully it wasn’t because of any fault of your own. Talk about how you and your boss still have a good relationship (maybe they’re even one of your references!). But only do this if you actually do have a good relationship still. There are plenty of negative reasons for quitting a job, but you don’t want to air those during an interview. Instead, find the positives and draw their focus there.

Be Honest, Not Comprehensive

Be tactful and succinct. Express why you want to leave or have left your position, but again, don’t be negative about it. Industries can be interconnected, so you’ll never know if the interviewer(s) know your previous boss or someone in their HR team in some capacity. Plus, if you indulge in complaining about your current or past workplace to the interviewer of this new job, they’ll probably wonder how long it will be until you’re complaining about your new job.

Practice giving a to-the-point answer as to why you’re making this change. Don’t give in to the temptation to complain or point fingers at your workplace. Don’t over talk it.

Consider Your Response

What are some responses for why you’re quitting/have already quit your job? A few could be: a recruiter contacted you and the role sounding intriguing, your current company has limited growth potential, your current company is not investing in new technology and/or in their employees, you had to take care of a sick family member (only if this is true), the job you’re currently applying for was just such a good opportunity, or the growth of this new company is very exciting. All of these are acceptable answers and are much better than just saying, “I hated my job and wanted to leave”. Your next employer wants you to be honest with them, but how you phrase your responses will help them to see the validity of your choice.

How you present yourself and your position is a huge factor in getting a job. Being able to articulate why you left/are leaving a job in a way that shows respect for your previous employer can be key to you being selected for a job. Always show excitement for the opportunity and challenges ahead. With some practice (literally saying the answers out loud) and forethought, you can effectively answer the quitting question.

Do you aspire to be in a leadership position in your company one day? If you want to be a good leader, these qualities are essential to your success.

Communication

Could your current communication proficiency even be called a “skill”? Communication as a leader is key to your success because your team needs to understand your vision, know what you need from them and when. Articulating what needs to be done, and then motivating your team to do that is an important skill. Also, being able to communicate to your team what they’re doing well and what they need to improve on is key. You must be willing to have tough conversations without scaring off the person. You also need to know how to effectively and concisely communicate up to your management team

Consistency

Do your words match up with your actions? Are you someone that practices what they say? If not, then your people won’t want to follow you. No one respects or wants to listen to a hypocrite. You have got to be willing to do those difficult jobs that most would avoid before you can expect your team to do them. A leader that leads by example consistently is one that people will want to follow.

Vision

What does your company want to accomplish? What is your goal in making that happen? You’ve got to have this nailed down. What are your ideas? In what way can you implement them successfully? First, you need to understand your vision and how to make it happen. Second, you need to be able to communicate and share that with your people. Help them to catch the vision, and you’ll all go far.

Goals

Set goals. You want your team to feel a sense of accomplishment by reaching a goal, and that’s impossible if they don’t know exactly where that goal is set. Make clear goals, communicate those to your people, then help them work towards meeting those goals. Both you and your employees will feel a great sense of accomplishment when your goals are reached. Companies like to have measurable goals whenever possible, so keep that in mind when setting goals.

Humility

No one enjoys being around a know-it-all. So, don’t allow yourself to develop that mindset. Just because you’re a leader doesn’t mean that you’ve “arrived,” so to speak. You’re still just as human and prone to error as the rest of your people. Be willing to admit your faults and learn from your employees. This helps them develop respect for you. Leaders who charge ahead and turn a deaf ear to the ideas and thoughts of their people won’t get very far.

Accountability

This one goes along with humility. Being willing to be accountable and setting that up is very important. You’re an employer, not a dictator. Let your employees know that they can bring up issues that they see to you. Establish that trust with them, so that they feel comfortable in approaching you respectfully with their concerns. It is very easy to become blind to things that are very close to you, so having those extra eyes on the lookout will greatly help in your success.

Learn

This is also tied in with humility, because you are always learning and growing. In this industry, there is always new data, new technology and new methods. If you’re unwilling to learn, grow and understand the new ways of doing things, you’ll quickly find yourself falling behind. Don’t allow yourself to get stuck in a prideful mindset that inhibits growth. Instead, purposefully look for ways to grow and set an example to your people.

There are plenty of leaders out there, but the exceptional, quality leaders are the ones who practice and grow these 7 areas in their lives.

Your boss has a lot going on, whether it’s managing people or responding to those who are in charge higher up. With all that going on, there are things they want you to be doing that they might not express. Here are five action items that will make your boss glad that they hired you.

Express

When your boss presents an idea, look for ways that you agree or how it could be beneficial. You may not think the whole idea is the best, but there will be parts that you can get on board with. Reinforce those first, then later on, address your concerns with him or her. The best way to present those, however, is sandwiching them between compliments on the better parts of the idea.

On the other side of that, don’t be afraid to disagree with your boss. You weren’t hired to nod along with everything your boss says. Be willing to express your different opinion or opposing viewpoint in a respectful way that will result in a better project overall.

Inquire

Be willing to ask how your boss thinks you can improve. Your boss will love an employee who is willing to take constructive criticism and let it change how they do things. Use this to measure how you’re doing in your work projects, with your coworkers, etc. Just be willing to think about what they say and apply what fits. Nothing is more annoying than someone asking for advice and then never following through. Make sure to ask for a meeting on a consistent basis (every 3, 4 or 6 months), not just once.

Initiate

An employee taking initiative and getting things done without the boss having to get on their back…now that’s a person the boss would love to have work for them. When you see something that needs to be done, do it! Don’t wait around for your boss to have to ask you or another employee. If you’re not sure about it, then you can ask. Most managers would agree, they would rather have someone who would take the initiative and not get it 100% right than to have someone who never made the effort at all. This especially applies when new technologies are introduced.

Volunteer

Your boss is going to have projects that most team members probably aren’t going to want to be involved in because they see no benefit to themselves. Rise above this mentality of self-seeking and volunteer to help your boss out. Remember that they’re a person too, and as such, they have bosses that they answer to. Show some camaraderie in assisting your boss. This can also benefit you because their estimation of you will instantly go up. Next time there’s a job opening further up, they’ll also remember your initiative and willingness to work on projects that were outside of your job description.

Own

Don’t keep playing the pass-the-blame game. If something happened that shouldn’t have, and you were at fault, own up to that. No matter how uncomfortable it makes you, be willing to take ownership for your mistakes. This shows that you’re responsible, and if your attitude is humble, that you’re also willing to learn from them. No one likes to make errors, but we all do. How you respond after you make an error tells a lot about your character and will stand out to your boss.

Keep working on these five things, and your boss will definitely be glad that you’re on their team. Rise above those around you who are only interested in their own careers and strive to be a team player, your boss included in that team.

Unless you’ve got your head stuck in the sand, you know that conflicts happen at work. Maybe you’re embroiled in one now and that resolution isn’t always easy. However, just because something isn’t easy doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile. See conflict as an opportunity to grow as a person, develop better communication and foster an open environment at your work.

Get To The Root Of The Issue

Why is this conflict happening? Is it really all on the other person, or do you have some responsibility to take? You need to be able to sincerely and truthfully look at yourself. Have you contributed to the problem in any way at all? If you can’t admit your fault, then you really can’t expect the other person to do so either. Once you’ve identified any area where you may have been at fault, address that with the other person.

There are two biggies for why conflict may be happening in your workplace:

Miscommunication

Often miscommunication is the culprit for why you’re having issues. Did you say something that the other person took in a completely different way? Or are you missing some of the facts for the conflict? Lack of information and miscommunication is a major drawback. Clarifying miscommunication often can help resolve the conflict. However, if not, getting a fuller understanding of what is happening and why will be hugely beneficial.

Emotion

As you spend more time with people and get more comfortable with them, emotions can start to run higher. Home life and stress at work are also big contributors. Are the emotions that are being expressed because of other factors? Is the problem the other person, or is it something at home that has you—or them—on edge?

Be Direct

Generally, people don’t want to address the issues they’re facing with another person. It’s uncomfortable and all-around not fun. However, your workplace will continue to vibrate with tension until the issue is resolved.

When approaching the other person, be careful how you phrase things. Admit to your responsibility in contributing to the problem, then respectfully bring up what you believe their part was. Do so in as non-confrontational a way as possible. If this means leaving work and having a lunch together and discussing the situation, by all means, do so. Just don’t allow the conflict to continue to simmer. Act as adults in the workplace and take care of the problem.

Make sure that by addressing the conflict that you’re talking with the person the problem is with. Don’t go around the office, asking everyone their opinion and subtly gossiping with those people in the process. If the problem gets out of hand or you need a mediator, that’s one thing. But spreading it around will not be helpful or conducive to fixing the issue. Sometimes co- workers can lose respect for you not handling an issue and having to work in a tense environment, so take action immediately.

No matter how much you enjoy your workplace and your colleagues, you will have a conflict at some point. Whether you observe it happening with others or it happens to you, you’ll have the chance to deal with it. Choose to do so in a smart, considerate way, and everyone at the office will thank you. Don’t let emotions or continued miscommunication get in the way. Address the problem promptly, and then get back to work at that job you love.

One of the single most dreaded questions during an interview is: “What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?” The weaknesses part is a discussion all by itself, so today we’re going to look at your strengths.

Be specific

“I’m a hard worker” is not specific. That’s a very general answer that everyone would claim. Instead, saying “Once I commit to a job I do whatever needs to happen to get it done,” is a better option.

Whatever strength you say you have, follow it up with a short, 1-2 minute story. How did this strength play out at your last job? In what way did you use your strengths and develop them?

If you’re having trouble figuring out what your strengths are, ask a friend or a coworker you trust. You can also go back and look at performance reviews or compliments from your boss. What stood out to them? That’s probably a strength you have.

Be relevant

Since you’ve already discovered what your various strengths are, consider the position you’re applying for. Does it require a certain skillset? What descriptions about the job carry subtle cues as to what will be needed? Part of being able to sell yourself and what you can do well is knowing what the company needs. How do you fit this job with your unique strengths? If you can first understand that, then communicate it to the interviewer, you’ll leave an impression. Rather than just another interviewee wanting a job, you’ll be someone who knows what the company needs and knows how to fit that need to a ‘T’.

Be realistic

Don’t come up with a strength that you don’t have. If you claim to know French fluently but don’t, you’ll be in big trouble if you’re asked to communicate with developers or vendors there. Google Translate will not serve you well for long.

Your greatest asset for getting this job is knowing you. You are a unique individual and no other candidate is exactly like you. That’s what you need to express. In what way do you stand out from the crowd? Let your personality show as you explain your strengths and weaknesses in the interview. Don’t allow stress or nerves to turn you into a robot.

With that said, you can also practice expressing what your strengths are. Write out what you would say, and practice saying it out loud. So many people are surprised how it sounds when they say it out loud compared to in their head. Know how to communicate what makes you a valuable asset to their company. Develop your skills in this area. You may be like many others who don’t necessarily feel comfortable tooting their own horn. However, this isn’t a pride issue. Unless you ramble on and on about how you’ll be this company’s greatest asset ever, the interviewer will welcome you explaining more about yourself. After all, they won’t know unless you tell them.

Interviews can be a big blank spot for a lot of people. That doesn’t have to be you. When you learn what your strengths are and have the ability to communicate those properly, it will get you a long way, and could even land you that job.

Have you ever had a boss who is always peeking over your shoulder, constantly needing to be involved in your work, or sending you a detailed-to-the-max list? If so, you know how it feels to be micromanaged. As much as you would wish the situation would just go away, you may have to learn how to deal with this kind of boss.

Understand the Cause

There are several reasons why a boss may micromanage. None of them is an excuse for this behavior but knowing “the why” may help you in dealing with them. Basically, this kind of person is a control freak. The need for control can come from a lot of different areas, the principal one being fear. Are they getting a lot of pressure from their boss to produce at a certain level? Are they feeling the stress of a competitive workplace? Whatever it is, knowing this can help in resolving the issue.

Maybe part of the cause is yours or your coworkers’ behavior. Examine your own work. Have you been turning projects in late? Are there things you’ve relaxed or that you need to tighten up? It could be that your manager took the fall for a project for which you or one of your coworkers were responsible. First, be willing to check your work and habits, and if you’ve got an area for improvement, start there!

Think Ahead

Are you constantly reminded to do things that are on your regularly scheduled to-do list? Get ahead on some of those, so that when you’re reminded of them, you can go ahead and tell your manager you’ve already completed it.

Communicate with your coworkers what you’re working to accomplish. If you’re all working to show that you can do your jobs well, this will help your micromanager understand that they don’t need to be controlling.

You can also keep track of what you’re doing so that if your manager asks you about it, you can show them right then and there. This may also help if they require updates on what you’re doing. By showing that you’re aware of what you’re supposed to be doing and that you’re getting it done, you’ll boost their confidence in your abilities.

Talk to Them

It may come down to confronting—in a gentle, respectful way—your manager about this issue. This can be very difficult to do, especially if you’re in a workplace where you don’t know your manager well. If possible, try talking to them and letting them know how their actions are impacting you. They may not even know what they’re doing.

If you can’t necessarily approach them in that way, then see if you can get them to agree to letting you work on a project on your own—without any day to day interference. Let them know that at the end of the project you’d welcome a meeting with them. Then you can talk about what you did well and what needed improvement. When you excel, your manager will see that you, at least, don’t need such constant supervision.

There’s no easy way to deal with micromanagers, but it can be done. If you’re willing to put in the work, you may be able to help change their attitude towards you and you will enjoy your workday more.